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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add... (More)

About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in addition to writing editorials for more than 15 years. I have served as a director of many non-profits in the Valley and the broader Bay Area and currently serve as chair of Teen Esteem and on the advisory board of Shepherd?s Gate. I also served as founding chair of Heart for Africa and have travelled to Africa seven times to serve on mission trips. My wife, Betty Gail, has taught at Amador Valley High (from where we both graduated) since 1981. She and I both graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, as did both of my parents and my three siblings. Given that Cal tradition, our daughter went south to the University of Southern California and graduated with a degree in international relations. Since graduation, she has taken three mission trips and will be serving in the Philippines for nine months starting in September. (Hide)

Federal redevelopment funds? Be serious

Check Rep. Eric Swalwell (15th Congressional District) and you can see just how hard he's working to prepare for the primary challenge from state Senator Ellen Corbett.

One of the billboards on his official web site touts 250,000 miles flown, 800 meetings and events and co-sponsorship of 172 bills with the note that 71 percent were bipartisan.

During Thanksgiving week, he joined the mayors of Union City and Fremont to announce legislation designed to make it easier for California cities to obtain federal redevelopment funding. The two mayors were present to point out how projects in their cities had been stalled when the Legislature and Gov. Brown abolished redevelopment agencies in 2012.

The Legislative action was correct because agencies had been abusing the intent of redevelopment and diverting billions of dollars in revenue from the state and other local agencies. Building theaters, arenas, convention centers and the like in hopes of generating private investment have resulted in white elephants across the state (look no farther than Stockton and its arena).

Redevelopment was used well in Livermore for its downtown facelift as well as in San Ramon and Danville. However, using redevelopment funds for the 2,000-seat theater is exactly the type of grand over-reach that the Legislature was targeting.

It will be interesting to see if Swalwell can move the legislation through a Republican-controlled house because it is really difficult to understand why the federal government should be in the local redevelopment business. If he is successful, it could be another lifeline for the Livermore performing arts center.

Notably, Dublin, where Swalwell cut his teeth in public office, never has had a redevelopment agency despite plenty of opportunity to establish one. The city has been content to rely on the private sector.

Swalwell is doing all he can to raise money to prepare for next year's primary. The 20-term member he defeated, Pete Stark, declared that he is supporting Ellen Corbett and will contribute money from his own fortune to defeating Swalwell. He told CQ Roll Call in November, "I remember Eric, during the campaign against me, suggested that I was too old and inept to be of any value in the political process, so I am going to see if I can prove that to be wrong."

Swalwell's fundraising email cited the piece and indicated that Stark was planning to spend up to $15 million against him.

Posted by George Zika,
a resident of Dublin,
on Dec 7, 2013 at 9:47 am

Dublin did look into a redevelopment when I was on the City Council. At that time under existing rules Dublin did not meet all the requirements forming a redevelopment agency. I do not know if the rules have since changed. Looking back I guess it saved the city possible problems.